Navigation system for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A navigation system suitable for use in a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having an interior reflective element. A database at a site remote from the vehicle includes map data and/or directory data. A global-positioning system receiver is operable to receive signals from satellites external to said vehicles. A transceiver is operable to engage in a wireless communication with a remote transceiver located at a site remote from the vehicle to received data derived from the database. A user input allows a user to input a destination. The system responds to an input of a destination by wirelessly communicating the destination to the remote transceiver and downloading directions. A display that displays turn-by-turn instructions to the destination during the road journey based on the downloaded directions and on the signals received by the global-positioning system receiver. The turn-by-turn instructions may include (i) direction, (ii) when to turn, and/or (iii) how far until the turn. The navigation system preferably includes a short-range wireless communication link.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No.10/287,178, filed on Nov. 4, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,678,614, which isa continuation of patent application Ser. No. 09/799,414, filed on Mar.5, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,464, which claims priority from U.S.provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/187,960, filed on Mar. 9,2000, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/449,121, filed on Nov. 24, 1999, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,428,172 B1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicle-based global-positioning systems (GPS) are capable of providingcomplete mapping information, including street layout, street names,directions, landmarks, addresses, and the like. However, consumers oftenhave difficulty reading maps, especially when presented on a videoscreen, and the study of complex information, such as a map whiledriving, may dangerously distract from the driving task. Vehicle mirrorassemblies are desirable locations for an GPS antenna, such as disclosedin commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,552, the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention fulfills a need to intelligently filter mappinginformation in a manner that provides useful and usable data to thedriver. The present invention also provides an economical driver-usableglobal-positioning system (GPS) display. A vehicular rearviewmirror-based navigation system, according to an aspect of the invention,includes a rearview mirror system, including an interior rearview mirrorassembly. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes an interiorreflective element and an interior mirror housing for the interiorreflective element. The interior rearview mirror assembly furtherincludes a scrolling display. The scrolling display displays scrollingdriver informational messages on the scrolling display.

A vehicular review mirror-based navigation system, according to anotheraspect of the invention, includes a rearview mirror system having aninterior rearview mirror assembly. The interior rearview mirror assemblyincludes an interior reflective element and an interior mirror housingfor the interior reflective element. The interior rearview mirrorassembly further includes a GPS display. The GPS display receives anoutput from a GPS receiving system and displays turn-by-turn informationto a vehicle driver.

One aspect of the present invention offers a complete GPS system,including antenna, receiver and a GPS information display into avehicular mirror assembly, and particularly an interior rearview mirrorassembly. Provision of such a mirror-mounted GPS system as a unitary,complete assembly has several advantages, including obviating anautomaker from having to specifically design a dashboard or otherinterior cabin spaces and would decrease the time to market associatedwith such level of feature integration. Also, provision of amirror-mounted GPS system as a unitary, complete assembly facilitatessupply of such assemblies as retrofits and as aftermarket installations,and generally increases an automaker's ability to offer a GPS feature asan option on selected vehicles.

A particular advantage from locating the information display of a GPSsystem at the interior rearview mirror assembly in the interiorvehicular cabin is that such a mirror-mounted GPS display can facilitatemulti-tasking by the driver. Thus, there is a need to intelligentlyfilter mapping information to provide useful, but usable, data to thedriver. A further object of this present invention is to economicallyprovide a driver-usable GPS display. Map displays are currently one ofthe largest cost factors in vehicle navigational systems. Thus, it wouldbe desirable to avoid or reduce this cost by providing a simpler meansof display to the driver.

Another aspect of this invention is the location of the GPS antenna andthe receiver in the exterior side view assembly. A further aspect is theprocessing by that exterior side view mirror receiver of GPS locationdata received by the antenna and fed from there to the receiver,providing an output from that location, that is external to the vehiclecabin, into the vehicle cabin. This has the advantage of the optimalfield of view for the antenna for communication to GPS satellites. Theplacement of the receiver in an exterior side view mirror assembly inclose proximity to the antenna also is preferred to avoid RFI and EMCissues associated with low level RF signals. Locating the GPS antenna ata distance from the GPS receiver may render the GPS system subject tostray RF noise from cellular phones and high power portabletransmitters, such as CB's and handheld radios.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a vehicular rearview mirror assembly,according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a vehicular rearview mirror-basednavigation system, according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrated embodiments depictedtherein, a vehicular rearview mirror-based navigation system 10, in apreferred embodiment of the present invention, includes one or more GPSreceiving systems 11 exterior mirror-mounted antennas 12 that receivelocation information form GPS satellites. A GPS receiver 14, to which isconnected the GPS antenna 12, may also be mounted within an exteriorside view mirror assembly 15. The geographic data output from the GPSreceiver 14 is then transferred to an interior rearview mirror assembly17 for display with the driver via a communication channel 16 such as bya wire connection, a vehicle data bus connection such as a LIN (LocalInterconnect Network) or a CAN bus, as known in the art, or wirelesslysuch as via short-range RF data transmission using a protocol such asthe BLUETOOTH protocol such as is available from Motorola of Schaumberg,Ill. Alternatively, a GPS receiving system 11 including aninterior-mounted GPS antenna 12′ and GPS receiver 14′ may be mounted atinterior rearview mirror assembly 17. More particularly, theinterior-mounted GPS antenna 12′ and/or the GPS receiver 14′ may bepositioned at either the movable portion of the interior rearview mirrorassembly or the fixed portion of the interior rearview mirror assembly.Preferably, the display of the GPS information at interior rearviewmirror assembly 17 provides driver informational messages such asturn-by-turn instructions, such as shown in FIG. 1. This can bedisplayed using a dot-matrix, pixelated display 18 such as vacuumfluorescent display or an organic electro-luminescent display or afield-emission display or a plasma display or a similar light-emittingdisplay, or by a non-emitting display such as a liquid crystal displayin the chin of the interior mirror assembly mirror, in an eyebrow overthe mirror and/or in a display visible within the mirror reflector 19which would update the driver by line-by-line or by scrolling messageswhich keep the driver updated using GPS positioning techniques such asdifferential location discrimination which has preferred accuracy ofless than 5 m.

Another aspect of the present invention to the simplification of driverinstructions is the use of a simple compass/directional heading display20 at the interior mirror assembly. For example, if the system needed tocommunicate that the driver needed to turn right when heading north,heading display 18 may flash the “East” compass heading. Audible alertsor other noises could alert the driver that a directional change wasneeded. Another means of display could be arrows and the like.

A further aspect of the present invention is the data input generallyshown at 22. The driver will typically desire to input the destinationto the GPS system. This can be done several ways. A preferred methodwould be to take advantage of an existing vehicular wirelesstelecommunication system 24. Many existing mirror products are alreadythe location for these systems. For example, the driver would activate avehicular wireless communication system such as the OnStar™ system atGeneral Motors which would contact a remote operator or remote voiceinput system. This may be accomplished utilizing principles disclosed incommonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/466,010 filedDec. 17, 1999; Ser. No. 09/396,179 filed Sep. 14, 1999; Ser. No.09/382,720 filed Aug. 25, 1999; Ser. No. 09/449,121 filed Nov. 24, 1999;Ser. No. 09/433,467 filed Nov. 4, 1999; and Ser. No. 09/448,700 filedNov. 24, 1999, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated hereinby reference. The driver would then tell the operator, such as via avoice input 26, the desired final destination; this takes advantage ofthe operators' vast data banks for locations and human interaction tohelp find the destination of choice if you do not know the exactaddress. The operator would then download the turn-by-turn directions toyour mirror. The driver will then be notified by the scrolling messageson the display in the mirror when to turn, how far until the turn, andthe direction. The GPS system could update the display in real time asyou travel. Audible chirps delivered by a speaker 28 could alert thedriver when approaching a turn or if the driver has missed a turn. Thus,the remote Onstar™ or equivalent system maintains the detailed maps anddirectories, and this is fed back wirelessly to the vehicle for displayat the interior rearview mirror of directional guidance information.

In addition to this, the driver may simply have a keypad 30 to enter thedestination by spelling the address. Keypad 30 could behardwire-connected to internal rearview mirror 17 or be connected via awireless link.

BLUETOOTH technology form Motorola, or a similar short-range RFtransmission system, could be incorporated for wireless interface withthe GPS receiver. This allows for better performance in urban canyonsand locations with extreme foliage. The exterior mirror-mounted GPSsystem 11 could improve handheld GPS devices due to a more powerfulantenna 12, which does not operate from a small handheld battery orsuffer from the limited size and weight constraints. In addition, thevehicular GPS system could have more data storage, faster processingspeeds, increased bandwidth for full internet access, increased softwareand potential to transfer data via 2-way paging such Creatalink 2 byMotorola thereby lowering operating costs to the user. The data couldthen be transferred back to the mobile unit for display or storage orthe handheld features could then be transferred to the vehicle for handsfree operation through voice recognition. This could also include smartphones with an IP address and personal digital assistants (PDA). Inaddition, smart cards might be inserted into the mirror and informationexchanged in this manner.

The driver could also simply have the instructions downloaded to mirror17 without GPS system 11. This would involve the operator using theircellular service to triangulate your position then download theturn-by-turn directions to your mirror based on your current positionand your destination. Then, as you complete each step of the direction,you can scroll to the next direction. This eliminates the cost of theGPS solution, but may not allow for real time positioning. It does offera simple and effective way to display the information to the driver in alocation where the driver is not forced to take their eyes off the road.

It is preferred that the display of GPS-derived driving directionalinstructions and allied information be displayed at interior mirrorassembly 17 as a reconfigurable display such as a multi-pixel displaywith individually addressable display pixel elements, such as is knownin the display arts. Also, it is preferable that the display have anaspect ratio (defined as ratio of the width dimension of the display toits height dimension) of at least about 3, more preferably at leastabout 5, and most preferably at least about 10 in order to presentdriving instructions to the driver in a readily readable form. Forexample, the “Turn right on Swan, etc.” driver instruction shown at theinterior mirror assembly in FIG. 1 has a desirably large aspect ratio.Also, preferably, the width dimension W of the display is at least about4 cm, more preferably at least about 6 cm and most preferably at leastabout 10 cm in width dimension. Also, preferably, the height dimension His at least about 0.5 cm, more preferably at least about 0.6 cm and mostpreferably at least about 1 cm in height dimension. Use of the preferredaspect ratios and dimensions ensures that the driver can readily readand interpret the mirror-displayed driving instructions.

Also, where display 18 is disposed behind reflective element 19 ofinterior mirror assembly 17, and when the reflective element is anelectrically variable reflectance element such as an electro-opticmirror such as an electrochromic mirror, it is preferred that theintensity of the scrolling GPS-derived directional information displaybe increased whenever any overlaying variable opacity element, such asan electrochromic medium, decreases in transmission. Thus, when anelectrochromic mirror element that the display is viewed through dims,the intensity of the display increases to compensate for the mirrordimming, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,285,060 and 5,416,313,the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein.

Further, scrolling GPS-derived driving instruction information can bedisplayed at an interior mirror-mounted video screen, such as isdisclosed in provisional pat. application Ser. No. 60/186,520 filed Mar.2, 2000, entitled INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY INCORPORATING AVIDEO SCREEN and in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/449,121 filed Nov. 24, 1999, by Hutzel et al., the entire disclosuresof which are hereby incorporated herein.

Also, optionally, a forward-facing video camera, such as a CMOS or CCDcamera, can be mounted to the vehicle, such as disclosed in commonlyassigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,094 and published International ApplicationNo. WO 99/23828, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated hereinby reference, that views the forward scene ahead of the vehicle as ittravels on a road. Optionally, the video image of the forward scene canbe displayed at a mirror-mounted video screen, or at a video screenmounted elsewhere in the vehicle cabin such as in or at the dashboard.Preferably, a computer-produced graphic overlayer/imagehighlight/picture-in-a-picture for this forward-viewing video image isgenerated that is derived from geographic information received from thein-vehicle GPS system. Thus, the driver can view a video screen, whichpreferably is located at the interior rearview mirror assembly, and cansee a graphic overlay on the captured forward video image that guidesthe driver to turn left or right at an upcoming intersection whose imageis displayed on the video screen, a highway on/off ramp the driver is totake can be highlighted on the video screen, a destination building canbe highlighted (such as by flashing the part of the video screen wherethe building is being displayed), etc.

Also, where a video-based rear vision display is included in thevehicle, such as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,935and published International Application No. WO 96/38319, the disclosuresof which are hereby incorporated herein by reference, driverinstructional data, maps, and the like, can, optionally, be co-displayedwith the video image of the rearward scene. The driver instructionaldata, maps, and the like, can be derived from the GPS data received bythe in-vehicle GPS system, and may be co-displayed via a graphicoverlayer or a picture-in-a-picture, or the like.

The global-positioning system display of the present invention may beincorporated into video screens or video display assemblies, which maybe displayed at or adjacent to the interior rearview mirror assembly,such as in a module or a pod or the like, such as described in U.S.utility application entitled VIDEO MIRROR SYSTEMS INCORPORATING ANACCESSORY MODULE, filed by Kenneth Schofield, Frank O'Brien, Robert L.Bingle, and Niall R. Lynam on Feb. 26, 2001 and U.S. provisionalapplications entitled VIDEO MIRROR SYSTEMS INCORPORATING AN ACCESSORYMODULE, Ser. No. 60/263,680, filed Jan. 23, 2001; VIDEO MIRROR SYSTEMSINCORPORATING AN ACCESSORY MODULE, Ser. No. 60/243,986, filed Oct. 27,2000; VIDEO MIRROR SYSTEMS, Ser. No. 60/238,483, filed Oct. 6, 2000;VIDEO MIRROR SYSTEMS, Ser. No. 60/237,077, filed Sep. 30, 2000; VIDEOMIRROR SYSTEMS, Ser. No. 60/234,412, filed Jul. 21, 2000; INTERIORREARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY INCORPORATING A VIDEO SCREEN, Ser. No.60/218,336, filed Jul. 14, 2000; and INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLYINCORPORATING A VIDEO SCREEN, Ser. No. 60/186,520, filed Mar. 2, 2000,the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference. Asdescribed in the above-referenced applications, such video screens maybe incorporated into the interior rearview mirror assembly or providedat locations within the vehicle separate from the interior rearviewmirror assembly. The video display assemblies similarly may beincorporated into the interior rearview mirror assembly, such as bymounting the video display assembly to the interior mirror support ormirror mount or to a pod, or may be separately mounted, such as eitherabove the interior rearview mirror assembly or below the interiorrearview mirror assembly. For further variations and details of themounting of the video screen(s) or the video display assembly, referenceis made to the above-referenced applications.

Such video screens or video display assemblies may be used to displaythe output from a rear vision back-up camera, such as disclosed inco-pending applications Ser. No. 09/199,907, filed Nov. 25, 1998, andSer. No. 09/361,814, filed Jul. 27, 1999, commonly assigned to DonnellyCorporation, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated byreference in their entireties, along with vehicle instrument status,such as a vehicle information display, such as information relating tofuel gauge levels, speed, climate control setting, GPS directionalinstructions, tire pressure status, instrument and vehicle functionstatus, and the like. In addition, such video screens may display apanoramic image, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,670,935 and5,550,677 and U.S. patent applications entitled WIDE ANGLE IMAGE CAPTURESYSTEM FOR VEHICLES, Ser. No. 09/199,907, filed Nov. 25, 1998, and WIDEANGLE IMAGING SYSTEM, Ser. No. 09/361,814, filed Jul. 27, 1999, thedisclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in theirentireties, and can be used instead of a conventional mirror reflector.Other displays or images that may be displayed on the video screeninclude: a rain sensor operation display, a telephone informationdisplay, a highway status information display, a blind spot indicatordisplay, a hazard warning display, a vehicle status display, a pagemessage display, a speedometer display, a tachometer display, an audiosystem display, a fuel gage display, a heater control display, anair-conditioning system display, a status of inflation of tires display,an E-mail message display, a compass display, an engine coolanttemperature display, an oil pressure display, a cellular phone operationdisplay, a global-positioning display, a weather information display, atemperature display, a traffic information display, a telephone numberdisplay, a fuel status display, a battery condition display, a timedisplay, a train approach warning display, and a tollbooth transactiondisplay. Furthermore, information displays may be incorporated whichprovide information to the driver or occupants of the vehicle, such aswarnings relating to the status of the passenger airbag. In commonlyassigned co-pending application Ser. No. 09/244,726, filed by JonathanE. DeLine and Niall R. Lynam, on Feb. 5, 1999, information displays areprovided which include information relating to vehicle or engine status,warning information, and the like, such as information relating to oilpressure, fuel remaining, time, temperature, compass headings forvehicle direction, and the like, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety. The passenger side air bag on/offsignal may be derived from various types of seat occupancy detectorssuch as by video surveillance of the passenger seat as disclosed inco-pending, commonly assigned international application Ser. No.PCT/US94/01954, filed Feb. 25, 1994, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference, or by ultrasonic or sonar detection, infraredsensing, pyrodetection, weight detection, or the like. Alternately,enablement/displayment of the passenger side air bag operation can becontrolled manually such as through a user-operated switch operated withthe ignition key of the vehicle in which the mirror assembly is mountedas described in co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 08/799,734, filed Feb. 12, 1997, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments canbe carried out without departing from the principles of the inventionwhich is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent lawincluding the doctrine of equivalents.

1. A navigation system suitable for use in a vehicle comprising: avehicle; said vehicle including an interior rearview mirror assembly,said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an interior reflectiveelement, said interior rearview mirror assembly further comprising adisplay; a database at a site remote from said vehicle, said databaseincluding at least one chosen from map data and directory data; aglobal-positioning system receiver, said global-positioning systemreceiver locatable in said vehicle during a road journey, saidglobal-positioning system receiver operable to receive signals fromsatellites external to said vehicle; a transceiver operable to engage ina wireless communication with a remote transceiver located at a siteremote from said vehicle, said transceiver locatable in said vehicleduring said road journey; said transceiver operable to receive awireless data transmission from said remote transceiver of data derivedfrom said database; a user input whereby a user can input a destination,said system responsive to said input of said destination by wirelesslycommunicating said destination to said remote transceiver; said wirelessdata transmission from said remote transceiver to said transceivercomprising downloading of directions generally to said destination, saiddirections being derived from said database; said display at saidinterior mirror displaying turn-by-turn instructions to said destinationduring said road journey, said turn-by-turn instructions being based onsaid downloaded directions and on said signals received by saidglobal-positioning system receiver; wherein said turn-by-turninstructions comprise at least one chosen from (i) direction, (ii) whento turn, and (iii) how far until the turn; and wherein said navigationsystem includes a short-range wireless communication link.
 2. The systemin claim 1 wherein said user input comprises at least one chosen from avoice input and a keypad input.
 3. The system in claim 2 wherein saidreceiver is positioned at said interior mirror assembly.
 4. The systemin claim 2 wherein said navigation system includes a vehicle data busconnection.
 5. The system in claim 2 wherein said short-range wirelesscommunication link comprises a short-range radio frequency wirelesscommunication link.
 6. The system in claim 5 wherein said short-rangeradio frequency wireless communication link comprises a BLUETOOTHprotocol.
 7. The system in claim 1 including an alert to the driver,said alert comprising at least one chosen from an audible alert and avisible alert.
 8. The system in claim 7 wherein said alert comprises anaudible alert.
 9. The system in claim 7 wherein said alert comprises avisible alert.
 10. The system in claim 9 wherein said visible alertcomprises a flashing display.
 11. The system in claim 7 wherein saidalert comprises an alert that a turn is being approached.
 12. The systemin claim 7 wherein said alert comprises an alert that a turn has beenmissed.
 13. The system in claim 1 wherein said display comprises adot-matrix pixelated display, said dot-matrix pixelated display operableto display a textural driver instruction.
 14. The system in claim 13wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of a vacuumfluorescent display, an organic electro-luminescent display, afield-emission display, a plasma display, a light-emitting diodedisplay, and a liquid crystal display.
 15. The system in claim 1 whereinsaid display is positioned at said interior reflective element.
 16. Thesystem in claim 1 wherein said interior rearview mirror assemblycomprises a housing and wherein said display is positioned at saidhousing.
 17. The system in claim 1 wherein said vehicle further includesat least one exterior rearview mirror assembly.
 18. The system in claim17 wherein said global-positioning system receiver comprises an antenna.19. The system in claim 18 wherein said antenna is positioned at one ofsaid interior mirror assembly and said exterior mirror assembly.
 20. Thesystem in claim 19 wherein said antenna is positioned at said interiormirror assembly.
 21. The system in claim 19 wherein said antenna ispositioned at said exterior rearview mirror assembly.
 22. The system inclaim 1 wherein said display displays at least one chosen from compassand directional heading information.
 23. The system in claim 1 furtherincluding an audio output generator indicating a need to changedirection.
 24. The system in claim 1 wherein said display comprises areconfigurable display.
 25. The system in claim 24 wherein said displayalso displays other vehicle functions.
 26. The system in claim 1 whereinsaid user input comprises voice input.
 27. The system in claim 26wherein said vehicle includes a system for receiving voice commands fromthe driver.
 28. The system in claim 1 wherein said user input comprisesa keypad.
 29. The system in claim 28 wherein said keypad is connectedwith said interior mirror assembly.
 30. The system in claim 29 whereinsaid keypad is wirelessly connected with said interior mirror assembly.31. The system in claim 1 wherein said reflective element comprises anelectro-optic reflective element.
 32. The system in claim 31 whereinsaid electro-optic reflective element comprises an electrochromicreflective element.
 33. The system in claim 1 wherein said short-rangewireless communication link comprises a short-range radio frequencywireless communication link.
 34. The system in claim 33 wherein saidshort-range radio frequency wireless communication link comprises aBLUETOOTH protocol.
 35. The system in claim 1 including an image capturedevice, said image capture device viewing a scene exterior of thevehicle, wherein said display displays the exterior scene captured withsaid image capture device, said display displaying a graphic overlaythat guides the driver with turn-by-turn instructions.
 36. A navigationsystem suitable for use in a vehicle comprising: a vehicle; said vehicleincluding an interior rearview mirror assembly, said interior rearviewmirror assembly comprising an interior reflective element; an imagecapture device, said image capture device viewing a scene exterior ofthe vehicle; a database at a site remote from said vehicle, saiddatabase including at least one chosen from map data and directory data;a global-positioning system receiver, said global-positioning systemreceiver locatable in said vehicle during a road journey, saidglobal-positioning system receiver operable to receive signals fromsatellites external to said vehicle; a transceiver operable to engage ina wireless communication with a remote transceiver located at a siteremote from said vehicle, said transceiver locatable in said vehicleduring said road journey; said transceiver operable to receive awireless data transmission from said remote transceiver of data derivedfrom said database; a user input whereby a user can input a destination,said system responsive to said input of said destination by wirelesslycommunicating said destination to said remote transceiver; said wirelessdata transmission from said remote transceiver to said transceivercomprising downloading of directions generally to said destination, saiddirections being derived from said database; a display displaying theexterior scene captured with said image capture device, said displaydisplaying a graphic overlay that guides the driver with turn-by-turninstructions, said turn-by-turn instructions being based on saiddownloaded directions and on said signals received by saidglobal-positioning system receiver.
 37. The system in claim 36 whereinsaid display is at or adjacent to said interior rearview mirrorassembly.
 38. The system in claim 37 wherein said short-range wirelesscommunication link comprises a short-range radio frequency wirelesscommunication link.
 39. The system in claim 38 wherein said short-rangeradio frequency wireless communication link comprises a BLUETOOTHprotocol.
 40. The system in claim 36 wherein said user input comprisesat least one chosen from a voice input and a keypad input.
 41. Thesystem in claim 36 including an alert to the driver, said alertcomprising at least one chosen from an audible alert and a visiblealert.
 42. The system in claim 41 wherein said alert comprises anaudible alert.
 43. The system in claim 41 wherein said alert comprises avisible alert.
 44. The system in claim 43 wherein said visible alertcomprises a flashing display.
 45. The system in claim 41 wherein saidalert comprises an alert that a turn is being approached.
 46. The systemin claim 41 wherein said alert comprises an alert that a turn has beenmissed.
 47. The system in claim 36 wherein said display comprises adot-matrix pixelated display, said dot-matrix pixelated display operableto display a textural driver instruction.
 48. The system in claim 47wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of a vacuumfluorescent display, an organic electro-luminescent display, afield-emission display, a plasma display, a light-emitting diodedisplay, and a liquid crystal display.
 49. The system in claim 36wherein said display is positioned at said interior reflective element.50. The system in claim 36 wherein said interior rearview mirrorassembly comprises a housing and wherein said display is positioned atsaid housing.
 51. The system in claim 36 wherein said vehicle furtherincludes at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly.
 52. The systemin claim 51 wherein said global-positioning system receiver comprises anantenna.
 53. The system in claim 52 wherein said antenna is positionedat one of said interior mirror assembly and said exterior mirrorassembly.
 54. The system in claim 53 wherein said antenna is positionedat said interior mirror assembly.
 55. The system in claim 53 whereinsaid receiver is positioned at said interior mirror assembly.
 56. Thesystem in claim 53 wherein said antenna is positioned at said exteriorrearview mirror assembly.
 57. The system in claim 36 wherein saidnavigation system includes a vehicle data bus connection.
 58. The systemin claim 36 wherein said display displays at least one chosen fromcompass and directional heading information.
 59. The system in claim 36further including an audio output generator indicating a need to changedirection.
 60. The system in claim 36 wherein said display comprises areconfigurable display.
 61. The system in claim 60 wherein said displayalso displays other vehicle functions.
 62. The system in claim 36wherein said user input comprises voice input.
 63. The system in claim62 wherein said vehicle includes a system for receiving voice commandsfrom the driver.
 64. The system in claim 36 wherein said user inputcomprises a keypad.
 65. The system in claim 64 wherein said keypad isconnected with said interior mirror assembly.
 66. The system in claim 64wherein said keypad is wirelessly connected with said interior mirrorassembly.
 67. The system in claim 36 wherein said reflective elementcomprises an electro-optic reflective element.
 68. The system in claim67 wherein said electro-optic reflective element comprises anelectrochromic reflective element.
 69. The system in claim 36 whereinsaid short-range wireless communication link comprises a short-rangeradio frequency wireless communication link.
 70. The system in claim 69wherein said short-range radio frequency wireless communication linkcomprises a BLUETOOTH protocol.
 71. A navigation system suitable for usein a vehicle comprising: a vehicle; said vehicle including an interiorrearview mirror assembly, said interior rearview mirror assemblycomprising an interior reflective element, said interior rearview mirrorassembly further comprising a display; a database at a site remote fromsaid vehicle, said database including at least one chosen from map dataand directory data; a global-positioning system receiver, saidglobal-positioning system receiver locatable in said vehicle during aroad journey, said global-positioning system receiver operable toreceive signals from satellites external to said vehicle; a transceiveroperable to engage in a wireless communication with a remote transceiverlocated at a site remote from said vehicle to a transceiver, saidtransceiver locatable in said vehicle during said road journey; saidtransceiver operable to receive a wireless data transmission from saidremote transceiver of data derived from said database; a user inputwhereby a user can input a destination, said system responsive to saidinput of said destination by wirelessly communicating said destinationto said remote transceiver; said wireless data transmission from saidremote transceiver to said transceiver comprising downloading ofdirections generally to said destination, said directions being derivedfrom said database; said display at said interior mirror displayingturn-by-turn instructions to said destination during said road journey,said turn-by-turn instructions being based on said downloaded directionsand on said signals received by said global-positioning system receiver;wherein said navigation system includes a short-range wireless radiofrequency communication link; and wherein said user input comprises atleast one chosen from a voice input and a keypad input.
 72. The systemin claim 71 wherein said display is at or adjacent to said interiorrearview mirror assembly.
 73. The system in claim 72 wherein saiddisplay is mounted to one chosen from said interior rearview mirrorassembly support and a mirror mount.
 74. The system in claim 72 whereinsaid display is mounted either above or below said reflective element.75. The system in claim 71 including an alert to the driver, said alertcomprising at least one chosen from an audible alert and a visiblealert.
 76. The system in claim 75 wherein said alert comprises anaudible alert.
 77. The system in claim 75 wherein said alert comprises avisible alert.
 78. The system in claim 77 wherein said visible alertcomprises a flashing display.
 79. The system in claim 75 wherein saidalert comprises an alert that a turn is being approached.
 80. The systemin claim 75 wherein said alert comprises an alert that a turn has beenmissed.
 81. The system in claim 71 wherein said display comprises adot-matrix pixelated display, said dot-matrix pixelated display operableto display a textural driver instruction.
 82. The system in claim 81wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of a vacuumfluorescent display, an organic electro-luminescent display, afield-emission display, a plasma display, a light-emitting diodedisplay, and a liquid crystal display.
 83. The system in claim 71wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a housing andwherein said display is positioned at said housing.
 84. The system inclaim 71 wherein said vehicle further includes at least one exteriorrearview mirror assembly.
 85. The system in claim 84 wherein saidglobal-positioning system receiver comprises an antenna.
 86. The systemin claim 85 wherein said antenna is positioned at one of said interiormirror assembly and said exterior mirror assembly.
 87. The system inclaim 86 wherein said antenna is positioned at said interior mirrorassembly.
 88. The system in claim 86 wherein said antenna is positionedat said exterior rearview mirror assembly.
 89. The system in claim 71wherein said receiver is positioned at said interior mirror assembly.90. The system in claim 71 wherein said navigation system includes avehicle data bus connection.
 91. The system in claim 71 wherein saidshort-range radio frequency wireless communication link comprises aBLUETOOTH protocol.
 92. The system in claim 71 wherein said displaydisplays at least one chosen from compass and directional headinginformation.
 93. The system in claim 71 further including an audiooutput generator indicating a need to change direction.
 94. The systemin claim 71 wherein said display comprises a reconfigurable display. 95.The system in claim 94 wherein said display also displays other vehiclefunctions.
 96. The system in claim 71 wherein said user input comprisesvoice input.
 97. The system in claim 96 wherein said vehicle includes asystem for receiving voice commands from the driver.
 98. The system inclaim 71 wherein said user input comprises a keypad.
 99. The system inclaim 98 wherein said keypad is connected with said interior mirrorassembly.
 100. The system in claim 98 wherein said keypad is wirelesslyconnected with said interior mirror assembly.
 101. The system in claim71 wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflectiveelement.
 102. The system in claim 101 wherein said electro-opticreflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element. 103.The system in claim 71 wherein said turn-by-turn instructions compriseat least one chosen from (i) direction, (ii) when to turn, and (iii) howfar until the turn.
 104. A navigation system suitable for use in avehicle comprising: a vehicle; said vehicle including an interiorrearview mirror assembly, said interior rearview mirror assemblycomprising an interior reflective element; a database at a site remotefrom said vehicle, said database including at least one chosen from mapdata and directory data; a global-positioning system receiver, saidglobal-positioning system receiver locatable in said vehicle during aroad journey, said global-positioning system receiver operable toreceive signals from satellites external to said vehicle; a transceiveroperable to engage in a wireless communication with a remote transceiverlocated at a site remote from said vehicle to a transceiver, saidtransceiver locatable in said vehicle during said road journey; saidtransceiver operable to receive a wireless data transmission from saidremote transceiver of data derived from said database; a user inputwhereby a user can input a destination, said system responsive to saidinput of said destination by wirelessly communicating said destinationto said remote transceiver; said wireless data transmission from saidremote transceiver to said transceiver comprising downloading ofdirections generally to said destination, said directions being derivedfrom said database; a display displaying turn-by-turn instructions tosaid destination during said road journey, said turn-by-turninstructions being based on said downloaded directions and on saidsignals received by said global-positioning system receiver; whereinsaid navigation system includes a short-range wireless radio frequencycommunication link; wherein said user input comprises at least onechosen from a voice input and a keypad input; and wherein saidreflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element. 105.The system in claim 104 wherein said display is at or adjacent to saidinterior rearview mirror assembly.
 106. The system in claim 105 whereinsaid display is mounted to one chosen from said interior rearview mirrorassembly support and a mirror mount.
 107. The system in claim 105wherein said display is mounted either above or below said reflectiveelement.
 108. The system in claim 104 including an alert to the driver,said alert comprising at least one chosen from an audible alert and avisible alert.
 109. The system in claim 108 wherein said alert comprisesan audible alert.
 110. The system in claim 108 wherein said alertcomprises a visible alert.
 111. The system in claim 110 wherein saidvisible alert comprises a flashing display.
 112. The system in claim 108wherein said alert comprises an alert that a turn is being approached.113. The system in claim 108 wherein said alert comprises an alert thata turn has been missed.
 114. The system in claim 104 wherein saiddisplay comprises a dot-matrix pixelated display, said dot-matrixpixelated display operable to display a textural driver instruction.115. The system in claim 114 wherein said display is selected from thegroup consisting of a vacuum fluorescent display, an organicelectro-luminescent display, a field-emission display, a plasma display,a light-emitting diode display, and a liquid crystal display.
 116. Thesystem in claim 104 wherein said interior rearview mirror assemblycomprises a housing and wherein said display is positioned at saidhousing.
 117. The system in claim 104 wherein said vehicle furtherincludes at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly.
 118. The systemin claim 117 wherein said global-positioning system receiver comprisesan antenna.
 119. The system in claim 118 wherein said antenna ispositioned at one of said interior mirror assembly and said exteriormirror assembly.
 120. The system in claim 119 wherein said antenna ispositioned at said interior mirror assembly.
 121. The system in claim104 wherein said receiver is positioned at said interior mirrorassembly.
 122. The system in claim 119 wherein said antenna ispositioned at said exterior rearview mirror assembly.
 123. The system inclaim 104 wherein said navigation system includes a vehicle data busconnection.
 124. The system in claim 104 wherein said short-range radiofrequency wireless communication link comprises a BLUETOOTH protocol.125. The system in claim 104 wherein said display displays at least onechosen from compass and directional heading information.
 126. The systemin claim 104 further including an audio output generator indicating aneed to change direction.
 127. The system in claim 104 wherein saiddisplay comprises a reconfigurable display.
 128. The system in claim 127wherein said display also displays other vehicle functions.
 129. Thesystem in claim 104 wherein said user input comprises voice input. 130.The system in claim 129 wherein said vehicle includes a system forreceiving voice commands from the driver.
 131. The system in claim 104wherein said user input comprises a keypad.
 132. The system in claim 131wherein said keypad is connected with said interior mirror assembly.133. The system in claim 131 wherein said keypad is wirelessly connectedwith said interior mirror assembly.
 134. The system in claim 104 whereinsaid electro-optic reflective element comprises an electrochromicreflective element.
 135. The system in claim 104 wherein saidturn-by-turn instructions comprise at least one chosen from (i)direction, (ii) when to turn, and (iii) how far until the turn.